Cannabis Extracts Anticonvulsants in Lab Mice

Cannabinoids are a group of chemicals that come from the cannabis plant (cannabis sativa). Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of these chemicals and studies have suggest that it has anti inflammatory effects when induced in animals. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is another one of these compounds that wields a psychotropic effect in animals. Cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) are found in the endocannabinoid system and allow cannabinoids to bind and do their job in the body. Epilepsy is the most prevalent neurological disease and is characterized by recurrent seizures. This report investigates the anticonvulsant properties of cannabis‐derived botanical drug substances (BDSs) rich in cannabidivarin (CBDV) and including cannabidiol (CBD) in acute in seizure models and the interaction of CBDV BDSs and their parts at cannabinoid CB1 receptors.

This study illustrates that cannabis solutions rich in CBDV and CBD can give off massive anticonvulsant impacts. Detrimentally, these impacts were seen in three different models of seizure in two species. Both the altered and unaltered CBDV BDSs had broadly parallel effectiveness to purified CBDV as well as CBDV and CBD combined. Thereafter, this report concluded that CBDV and CBD act in unison in an additive way versus audiogenic seizures. While the existence of THC and THCV in the solutions did not impact anticonvulsant abilities, their existence affected motor abilities and was the reason for the displacement of CB1 cannabinoid receptor agonists. More so, this is the first kind of research to evaluate CBDV working at the CB1 cannabinoid receptor where affinity was discovered to be very limited.

Cannabinoids can alleviate seizures

The results from this study give a strong CB1 cannabinoid receptor‐independent anticonvulsant ability of both altered and unaltered CBDV BDSs in three models of seizure, in two species. While unaltered CBDV BDS had a bad impact on the function in one motor task, this was in dire confliction with the altered CBDV BDS that was well put up with at anticonvulsant doses. This suggests that both modified and unmodified CBDV BDSs have the know how to possibly treat generalized or temporal lobe seizures with the altered CBDV BDS being the most tolerated.

Registered with the British Psychological Society, breaking the taboo on mental health issues is one of the driving forces in Jonathan's life. His background in biomedicine gives him additional understanding of the factors that work together to influence the human condition.